


Cherik Fantasy AU

by Joel7th



Category: X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types, X-Men: First Class - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Hybrids, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Vampires, Werewolves, merfolk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-07-19 15:21:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19976254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joel7th/pseuds/Joel7th
Summary: A collection of short stories centered around the relationship of Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto) and Charles Xavier (Professor X). Set in alternate universes (expect ghosts, mythical creatures, vampires, werewolves, etc.)Each story can be read independently.





	1. Caught

Erik had expected, with joy budding in his bosom, an excellent catch as he pulled up the net. Through the rope he felt a formidable weight and, for a passing second, he thought the thick rope might give away under the strain. It could very well be his heaviest catch in this year, and anticipation swelled in his chest and fueled the strength in his arms, tanned and scarred by years of fighting and hardship.

Once the net landed on the deck with low thud, Erik’s eyes were wide with surprise as he caught sight of what had been lured into his net.

There was an ancient superstition that an encounter with those creatures when you were sailing far from land was an omen, whether good or bad still remained to be seen but the sheer act in itself was close to a miracle. During his years of fighting in the sea, Erik had acquainted with those stories, often by overhearing the old seafarers and fishermen sharing their seemingly never-ending anecdotes with the young men on board, green, wide-eyed and impressionable, who eagerly absorbed those tales as though air to breath, a means to ward off soul-crushing boredom when battles were scarce and catches were scarcer. But Erik, both atheistic and skeptical, tended to dismiss those stories as old wives’ tales. He believed in sea monsters, yes, those giant octopi that could sink a ship with their tentacles, humongous fish that could swallow a vessel whole, or those vicious sharks that were keen to blood as hounds to games, but sirens, selkies and merfolk? He found himself involuntarily and indignantly scoffing whenever someone in his hearing proximity claimed, swore even, to have seen one. Still, as he was now, witnessing with his own eyes a living, writhing proof of the supernatural, he felt a sudden urge to bite his tongue and curse in all the languages he could speak as what was before his eyes demolished every brick of his body of beliefs.

What Erik had thought to be a particularly big fish turned out to be less fish and more – more of what, he was at loss for a word to describe, for the initial word to roll at the tip of his tongue was ‘human’, and he refused with his every fiber of his being to accept this creature as his kind. Yet, no matter how much in denial he was, the visible truth remained that this deep-sea specimen was every bit a man as he was, at least from his waist up.

Perhaps a little too beautiful to be considered a man. Ethereal. The word slipped mentally before he had a chance to stop it.

From his waist up, it – no, _he_ , should he be addressed as ‘he’ – possessed the torso of a typical man – flat but firm chest and waist so slender it could fit right into Erik’s hands. There was not a single blemish in his skin, pearly white and smooth as the inner side of a seashell. It was glistening as droplets of seawater freely rolled down his naked collarbone and chest like silver pellets, further amplifying his unearthly presence. But the semblance to human ended just a couple inches below his navel, where skin gradually receded to give way for cyanic scales to cover a huge fishtail, complete with large fins dyed in the same mesmerizing color. Under the moonlight, the scales glittered like they were made of fine crystal and probably cost more than sapphire stones, considering they came from something as unreal and mystical as a merman. Erik found his hand move on its own accord, yearning to touch them, to feel their shapes, their texture. He gritted his teeth, fighting hard the temptation, and losing by the seconds.

“Oh, do touch them, my friend, since you look so devastatingly tempted. I don’t particularly mind a grubby hand or two.”

Erik’s hand halted in the air as if frozen, his inside shuddered as he sucked in a cold breath upon being spoken to out of the blue. Did the merman just speak to him? He stared at the glossy ruby lips, which had curved into a half-smile like the creature could read his confusion, and perhaps appall, if it wasn’t already written all over his sea-kissed face. His eyes, impossibly blue and glowing like some sort of electrifying liquid in a magician’s glass tube, bored into Erik’s own with such queer and chilling intensity that the young seafarer’s instinct was begging him to avert his gaze lest himself be bewitched into diving headfirst into the inky ocean like many a tale had predicted. His whole body went rigid with tension.

“What are you?” Erik asked, and was immediately hit with a pang of shame at how retarded it sounded. Of course he knew very well what this specimen was; still, his befuddled state could be excused on account of his shock. It was not every day a merman was trapped in his net and spoke to him in such casual manner as though they were indeed old friends.

The smile deepened, bordering to transform into a smirk, which was infuriating and unsettling at the same time. Were all merfolk this disturbingly calm in capture? Did they not possess the slightest clue of what a fate might befall them at the hands of humans? Or simply what humans deemed common sense entirely evaded their alien brains? Erik couldn’t tell as his knowledge of this species was sorely limited to verbal stories woven by a combination of unverified facts, imagination and ale-loosen minds.

“Oh, can you not tell by your human eyes, because I believe the evidence is abundant? Also, I am definitely not wearing any glamor,” the creature replied mockingly, his voice laden with a hint of chuckle, grating Erik’s nerve. His fingers, pale and spidery, hooked the net as he continued, his voice rising a notch. “Congratulations, human, for you’ve managed to capture the rarest and most elusive creature of the ocean. Now, what are you going to do?”

Frankly, Erik was at a loss for an answer. He had thrown the net with a simple intention to catch some fresh food for his crew; they had been putting up with tasteless cured meat that required more effort to chew than acceptable and hard, dried gourds and pumpkins for almost two weeks. The men were getting cranky and morale was low, which something fresh and less bland might help improve. But as fate would have it, what had turned in his net proved to be entirely inedible.

“I can offer a couple suggestions, if you don’t mind.” God, here he opened his damnable mouth again, and with a sing-song tone no less. “You could hold an auction and make a fortune for yourself, enough to allow you to live your life with abandonment until you’re grey and wrinkled. As far as I’m concerned, there are always plenty of souls willing to pay a dear price for a half-man, half-fish thing. Or, alternatively, you could consume my flesh and achieve the single thing mankind has yearned most.”

“And what is that?” Erik asked incredulously, though he had a vague idea what it could be.

A sharp glint flashed his eyes, too wicked to not be missed. He licked his lips swiftly and breathed, “Immortality, my friend.”

The words came out soft as a whisper, heavily laced with seduction. For a second, Erik was almost fooled into believing that the merman was engaging in pillow talk with his lover and not with a human whose stomach he had just fondly suggested to be his final destination. Erik shuddered, being reminded of those tales in which men were seduced to their untimely and often gruesome deaths by a merfolk’s enchanting voice. His hands trembling ever slightly, he felt sweats beading at the nape of his neck in spite of the winds howling.

“I don’t need eternity,” Erik curtly replied, his voice shaking. “Nor do I desire it.”

“Do you?” mocked the merman.

It was the truth. The idea of living on forever he had never entertained, not even in his idle hours spent sharpening and polishing his sword on the deck. Erik was a man of the present, who neither dwelled in the past nor fantasized about the future, and at the present he had a clear, definite goal for which he was ready, willingly to give everything he had. He didn’t really see past that goal because Erik Lehnsherr didn’t see himself coming out of it alive. Not that he would mind, though.

So no, there was no place in his mind for such a flimsy notion as immortality, especially when it was proposed by a member of the merpeople, whose trickery and whimsical nature were legendary.

“I don’t,” came his ultimate reply.

The ruby lips pouted and disappointment veiled the beautiful face – it was hard to tell if this expression was genuine or a mere act. “Then, what shall you do with me when you’re quite adamant about not getting my most precious prize?”

What should he do with him? Erik quickly turned the question in his head. He had no intention to eat him – just a thought was enough to make his stomach churn, and he wasn’t going to make a fortune auctioning this singular creature – money was right next to immortality on his priority list. What he could do before everyone else on this ship found out about this quaint visit was to treat him the same way Erik and his crew would a poisonous crawfish or a fish so hideous it would be a crime to their eyes.

“Does your kind always have this habit of babbling nonsense?” Erik asked as his hands deftly untangled the next.

Erik half expected a dry remark from that pretty mouth; what he got was a look of surprise and forlornness that flashed across his countenance and dispersed so quickly he nearly mistook it for imagination. There were moist in his eyes as he shook his head. “I wouldn’t know,” the merman said, “for I have never in my life encountered another one of my kind.”

Erik’s eyebrows arched but made no comment, focusing on his task at hands. The net yielded effortlessly, leaving the merman free.

“What are you doing?”

Erik certainly did not imagine the low, undignified yelp when he lifted the creature in his arm and walked to the hull. He was heavier than he looked and Erik fathomed most of the weight was the lower body. Briefly, a grotesque thought of separating the man part and the fish one manifested in his mind, bringing him an unexpected chill. He took in a deep breath to clear his head and calmed himself before unceremoniously dumping the merman into the ocean below.

A loud splash but fortunately, no one seemed to be bothered enough to go and check. Erik heaved a sigh of relief and was already turning on his heels to return to his cabin when a melodious voice rang in his ears again.

“You’re a strange man indeed.”

The merman was staring him with those glowing blue orbs of his, a cheeky grin plastering on his youthful face.

He looked frighteningly like a human lad who had just won a bet.

“Go,” Erik commanded, exasperated, “to wherever you came from. Others might not spare you like I did should you get caught in their nets.”

“Thank you,” he said, his tone soft, free of mockery. “And goodbye, Erik.”

“How did you—”

The merman tapped a finger to his temple, winking at Erik. “We shall meet again, my friend,” he promised, before diving to the murky water, leaving Erik to contemplate his words.


	2. Howl

Charles was perching on the bay window, bathing in the quintessential serenity of the twilight, his favorite novel open on his laps, when his ears picked up the mute vibration of the brass doorknob. A smile tugged at his lips, he set the book – dog-eared by too many reads, with its vanilla cover pitifully stained thanks to Charles’s occasional habit of reading while feeding – on the coffee table and turned his eyes to the entrance of their shared home, waiting with anticipation for the door to swing open, which it did, and there stood in the amber light illuminating the porch, a naked man.

Well, ‘naked’ wasn’t the precise description here, for though he sorely lacked the cover of fabric, his body was clothed by a layer of dirt and grime and clotted blood, clinging to his form like the second skin. His bare feet, where stubborn claws and turfs of ginger fur had yet to depart, left distinct footprints on the white tiled floor as he stepped in after throwing the door shut behind him. It would be quite hellish to clean up later but Charles did not find it in him to be bothered; it was out of sheer practicality to not have any rugs in their apartment despite the fact that it would add to the coziness of their humble abode and help keep warm in the winter, which was decidedly harsher in the north than it was in the south.

Charles stayed where he was, eyes closed and inhaling deeply. Cool air flooded his lungs, but he cared as much about oxygen as he did his feeding manners, and he’d been told they were unsightly as best and barbaric as worst. It wasn’t air that he wished to take in but the scent radiating with fervor from the bloodied body. It was a mixture of metallic tang and musk, all wrapped in a sheen of pheromone that spelled uniquely _Erik_. Each Wolf had a distinguished scent – or so he’d been told because it wasn’t like he had had many chances to encounter other Wolves beside the one in front of him, and Erik’s, oh Erik’s just set his nerves alight in the most ecstatic way. So primal, so animalistic and probably a little fatal to Charles’s being because it had been known that his kind did not feel too strongly, what with being dead-alive and all, but Charles couldn’t care less. Not when Erik was standing before him, a bundle of raw instincts and carnal lust, his civil camouflage shed and his iridescent eyes on Charles and Charles alone as if the only thought racing in his mind was devouring Charles, flesh and bones and every single drop of blood. As if all the unfortunate preys he had mauled in his frenzy weren’t enough to satiate him the only way Charles could. White-hot sparks sizzled under Charles’s cold skin, pumping his veins with renewed vigor. He couldn’t tell if the humming in his ears were from the ocean outside the door or the exhilarating tune his blood sang in responding to Erik’s familiar scent, not unlike a bitch heeding her mate’s call. Colors swished beneath his eyelids, blending together, unrecognizable.

Every full moon, just as Erik surrendered himself to his nature, Charles experienced a little death in the form of a half-man, half-Wolf fresh from the hunt. And what his kind would find abhorrent and stay as far away from as they could Charles was inevitably, hopelessly drawn in. He loved it as much as he loved the rapture of the bite, perhaps even more because pleasure from the blood was in his nature and arousal from a Wolf’s scent was against it. Wolves and bloodsuckers were mortal enemies and most of his peers would grow cadaverous at the mere thought of stepping into a Wolf’s territory during the full moon, let alone being in it. But then most of them didn’t nickname Charles ‘eccentric’ out of fond teases and adoration. A freak born out of bizarre circumstance was his reason to have been shunned from the coven, and as a freak he had decided to live his life sullying every tradition those crones had dictated. Mingling with their mortal enemy had been his greatest achievement by far.

“You’ve never looked more beautiful, darling,” Charles spoke, placing his forefinger at his left temple, whispered with both his lips and his mind, making certain his Wolf – his Erik – not only hear but also _feel_ each word. “Come to me.”

The Wolf’s reply was a low growl – his human voice hadn’t returned, it seemed – but his animal self had retreated far enough into his bloodstream for his humanity to surface, and he wordlessly cut the distance between them until he was at Charles’s feet. His form towered the vampire momentarily before he dropped to his knees. His hands crept up Charles’s thighs, gripping his supple flesh while he nuzzled his stubbly cheeks into Charles’s knees. Charles smiled down at his Wolf and threaded his fingers in the cropped ginger hair, gently messaging his crown. This was one of those tiny ministrations he had found to inject pleasure into Erik’s enhanced senses, which brought the Wolf to a blissful state of vulnerability and submission. Unlike vampires who were creatures of solitude and independence, Wolves relied on the Pack to survive, and in a Pack, dominance and submission were the yin and yang that helped it thrive. Submission was not a sign of weakness and looked down, but rather the symbol of trust and widely appreciated. Although the delicate dynamics inside a Pack might have him confounded most of his waking time, Charles understood enough that it was essential for his Wolf’s mentality to feel submissive, his beautiful Wolf who went against his Pack and his nature to be with him, and sought to create a chance when he could.

Up close, Erik’s scent was a cloying mist right in front of his nostrils, making his insides flip. His fingers in the Wolf’s hair tightened while his other hand slid down the back of his neck and stopped in the hollow between his shoulder blades, where a scarlet mark resided. Shaped like the crescent moon and resembling a tattoo, it had been there since the night Erik killed his first prey, a stigma as well as a brand of pride. His body shivered slightly and he let out hot puffs of breath against Charles’s knees when the vampire caressed his mark. No one should touch a Wolf’s mark, not even his mate, but it was not the case with Erik; not only did he allow Charles’s touch on his Achilles’s heel, he also relished the sensation of having his fatal spot exposed and examined. At his immense trust Charles found insurmountable pride.

He ceased his hands, earning a disgruntled growl from Erik’s throat. Charles smiled indulgently before moving them to cup his cheeks, Erik’s stubbles scrapping against his palms. _Itchy_ , Charles thought as he held his gaze, allowing himself a moment to admire the constant shift of colors in Erik’s irises – from steel grey to olive green to cerulean. There was a dark smear on the corner of his lips, right under his small scar, tempting Charles to flick his tongue against it. So he gave in because why should he deny himself the pleasure, and licked. A hint of copper, a scrap of bread to a starved man, barely enough to stir his appetite, but Charles was a patient man, and he could wait a minute or two before the main course.

… which was in the side of Erik’s neck. Charles could practically hear its humming invitation. His gums stung, and he knew by the time he sank his fangs into Erik’s flesh, his Oxford professor’s façade would have already been out of the window.

Patience wasn’t known to be a Wolf’s virtue, so, for a split second, Charles’s world turned upside down, and his back met the floor with a bone-clattering sound. He was grateful that he wasn’t human, otherwise his back would be seriously compromised. It still hurt, though, and Charles hissed, chastisement ready on his tongue, but when he saw that Erik had already climbed on top of him, his body flushed against Charles’s, the vampire lost whatever he had intended to say. Erik’s hands – paws – tore Charles’s shirt and trousers in shreds, leaving Charles in his birthday suit. _There goes my favorite sky-blue shirt_ , Charles thought with sentiment. Again. He had lost count of how many shirts ruined by Erik’s savagery; perhaps on the next full moon, he would just save himself the trouble by waiting for Erik’s return in all his naked glory. But then he wouldn’t get to see the Wolf’s puppy eyes when his sense had come back and he was guilt-stricken by the damage done; that would be a shame.

Charles broke out of his little reverie when his legs were spread none-too-gently and hitched over Erik’s shoulders. His heart jumped a little as his body was bended nearly in half – his vampiric reflex the only grace saving his spine, and something hot was prodding his entrance. Scratch that. He knew exactly what it was, had been anticipating it since the moment the door swung shut behind Erik’s back. His _old friend_ , one could say. Now, his old friend was paying him a visit – by ramming into his entrance without so much a warning. His back arched and his feet hooked around Erik’s neck and he felt it inside him whole. There was no condom, no lube and certainly no stretching beforehand to help smooth the penetration, and Charles grimaced at the imagined pain he would have to go through if he were human. Thanks whoever above he wasn’t. While it would have stung like seven hells and even bled, he only experienced a minor discomfort, which he knew would be far and away before he fully registered it. Erik was well-endowed, but Charles was made to endure, and no matter how many times he had held Erik, he remained tight – just the right kind of tight that would entice the Wolf in Erik to push harder to the breaking precipice, to take what was not his to claim but was offered to him on both hands, begging him to own. And he did as Charles’s silent plea, thrusting his slender hip with punishing speed. His lips parted, from which broken pants escaped. His canines gleaming hungrily, he bent his head and bit the juncture of Charles’s neck and shoulder, determined to leave some proof every time their bodies danced together in the tango of sweats and blood. Droplets of crimson trickled down Charles’s clavicle to his pale, smooth chest, drawing a tortuous thin line across his torso. The wound, however, closed as soon as Erik’s teeth let go off his flesh.

Sometimes Charles wished his supernatural healing wasn’t so keen on fixing every damage, even the smallest, done to him, for he would love to keep the bite mark on his skin for a few days, a reminder of Erik’s unadulterated passion, until he was burning to have a brand-new one. It seemed entirely unfair that in this relationship Erik was the only party to get marked; that would have made Charles a lot more frustrated if he didn’t get to do the deed himself. And he was going to do just that; he just needed to wait for the right moment to come. Which was about now. Tiny electric sparks were running along his spine as his chest heaved, taking in gulps of air despite not needing any. His nails elongated into claws and he dragged them across Erik’s back, decorating his skin with long, angry lashes, some dangerously close to the Wolf mark, but far gone as he was at this moment, Charles was unapologetic. The Wolf above him hissed, and his thrusts lost their steady rhythm, becoming erratic. He strained his neck and howled until his voice was hoarsely human as he released the last vestiges of his transformation into the depth of the vampire’s body.

Charles’s arms were around Erik’s neck and he lifted his torso until he was practically hanging onto the Wolf. Red flashed before his eyes, and Charles needed no mirror to know his visage was quite a sight to behold, with blue eyes turned blood-red and dark veins writhing under the translucent skin around his eyes like maggots. He parted his mouth and swiftly and without warning, sunk his fangs into the bulging artery on the side of Erik’s neck.

Blinding white washed over his vision and he bathed in the climax, his body spasming for a few delicious seconds before his consciousness nudged him to the pleasure of another sort, exclusive for his kind.

 _Give me_. The voice in his head was low and sounded not like his own. His thirst speaking. Hot, sweet blood filled his mouth as a train of images and sensations filled his mind. The soft earth dipped beneath his feet – paws. The dewy grass was crushed under his weight. The dirt trail gradually transformed into gravel. The diamond-crusted stars in the velvety sky retreated behind skyscrapers, and blinding artificial lights put out the moonlight. He smelled panic with his nose as his mouth opened in a snarl, his gaze zeroing into his targets, his prey tonight. Lithe body covered in ginger fur lurching forward, jagged teeth clamping down the windpipes, squashing any hope for a scream. Chunks of flesh were ripped out, chewed and swallowed and immediately, a surge of energy reverberated throughout the Wolf’s system, as the same time a sharp bitterness betrayed the sweet flavor engulfing the vampire’s tastebuds. The Wolf tipped his head back and howled to the endless sky, body pieces strewn around his feet. An arm here, a shin there, a half-eaten heart discarded in a pool of murky water from the rain earlier, all going up in eerie green flame before turning into ashes. A shiver ran down his spine when the Wolf trampled the ashes, grinding them into the asphalt. From thrill rather than chill.

…

“You never like the city,” said Charles, tone languid, as he absentmindedly twirled a crisp lock around his finger and then released it. Erik’s body was draping over Charles’s, his forehead resting on Charles’s chest, steadily rising up and down. Dawn had breathed her first sigh and the sky was a purple hue, which was the natural signal for Charles to seek refuge from the arriving sun. Yet, despite his eyelids weighed down by slumber, he had not closed them, instead scavenging a few more minutes to converse with Erik before they had to spend the day apart.

“I don’t,” replied Erik, voice clear and human. “Too dirty, too crowded, too many stimulations.”

“And yet you chose the city for your hunting ground last night. Where’s the logic in that?”

The question was meant to be rhetorical, but Erik answered nonetheless. “Unlike Wolves, vampires in general prefer urban areas. An easy and steady supply of food right beneath their fingertips.”

“You don’t fancy bloodsuckers’ flesh either. Too stale for your taste, isn’t it?”

“I do fancy yours,” Erik replied in mock British accent – mimicking Charles’s. His fingers, lean and strong, drew circles on Charles’s left side, where he was particularly ticklish. It succeeded in eliciting a laugh from the vampire.

“I’m serious, Erik.” His tone suggested otherwise.

The tickling stopped. “They ran into you the other day.” _They threatened you._ was unspoken but understood.

“You heard it.”

“You aren’t the only one with super hearing.”

“That could have been dangerous. They could have belonged to a coven and thus, outnumbered you. Not to mention the humans.”

“I might have left the Pack, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a friend or two who got a few scores to settle with those vampires. Hank and Alex down the river for example. And they know the way in town well.”

Charles’s chuckles filled the small space in their home. “And I thought you were the Lone-Wolf type.”

“Still am. It was they who insisted. Been hungry for some chewy undead meat, Alex said.”

“I could taste their blood in yours, you know. Virulent and bitter but not necessarily bad. They must have been quite old.”

 _Older than those I usually take_ , he added mentally. _A welcoming new flavor_.

“You’re an abomination, don’t you know?” Erik said, venom-free.

Charles scratched Erik’s scalp with his blunt nails and laughed. His other hand fingered the punctures on Erik’s neck, where the scabs had forms. _Beautiful_. “I know. That makes two of us.”

“That makes two of us,” Erik echoed. “Dawn’s at our doorstep. Do you prefer the coffin or the floor?”

“I prefer the large, soft, and fluffy mattress, thank you.”

Erik carefully untangled himself from Charles and stood straight up, unabashedly naked. With graceful ease from his strength and practice, he scooped Charles up in his arms and carried him to their bedroom.

“Good morning, Charles,” he said, landing a kiss on the vampire’s forehead.

“Good morning, Erik. See you when night falls.” A few seconds later, he groggily added, “Be a dear and clean up the mess in the living room, will you?”

With his back turned towards Charles, the vampire couldn’t see the sheepish smile on Erik’s face; he heard it, however, in Erik’s tone.

“As you wish, Professor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Charles is, for a lack of better word, a cannibal vampire.


	3. What You Find in the Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: implied rape and mutilation, slight gore

As Charles descended the seemingly endless darkness, one foot at a time, he was awashed with an overflowing sense of nostalgia. He was no stranger to these stone steps, smoothed by time and thus treacherously slippery, as he had once gone down this same pathway many years ago, one hand on the rough wall to steady himself, never mind the scratches, while in the other was a torch providing the only source of light. He had been but a child then, driven solely by a childish curiosity to explore the deep bowel of the gargantuan monster lurking behind his foster father’s bedchamber. Of course he had never reached the end of these steps to see what was down there, for his father had caught him and literally dragged him back to the surface. Looking back, Charles had never seen his father so livid like he had been at the moment his large, callused hand grabbed Charles’s shoulder. His pale eyes narrowed and his pupils slit, fatally akin to a snake’s when his gaze bored into his son’s face as if drilling a hole in his small skull. His lips pressed thinly into a straight, hard line, and a cruel, vicious look settled into his normally serene expression, twisting his handsome features into ugliness. Charles dared not look at him as he spoke, warned actually, frost in his tone and malice dripping from his trickled words, “Don’t ever come down there again! That is no place for you to play, boy!” The young boy, scared and frantic, apologized profusely and promised he would never, ever set foot into that door again, no matter how it taunted him.

And he had meant it for a decade to come, his father’s wrathful glare on that day a tight lock on his mentality, keeping his childish curiosity in check. Yet, here he was, doing the exact opposite of his fearful promise. Charles had no doubt that if he was caught this time, and he would be if fate was unkind, it would not be a harsh scolding and two days’ hunger as punishment, but a certain and agonizing death by the glowing tips of his father’s fingers. Sebastian Shaw, despite his amicable manners and calm facade, was never a kind man, and those who crossed him found themselves at the receiving end of a gentle tap on the shoulder, and the next thing they knew, they were in atom form. Shaw’s gift matched his personality, and Charles had, unfortunately, discreetly, witnessed him in the act, a cold smirk ever present on his lips indicating that he was enjoying every millisecond of it.

He had been wearing that exact same smirk, down to the tiny creases at the corners of his mouth, when his fingers began to glow red, and with those, he touched the sobbing, hysterical young woman clinging to his leg. The touch had been gentle, feather-light, yet its effect was devastating. In a blink, there was nothing left where the young woman had been, not even a pile of ash or a dark smudge to indicate her existence. Her too-young son’s eyes were glued to the empty spot, wide with confusion, his thumb in his mouth, drool dripping.

Charles could not have comprehended what had happened back then – hadn’t even remembered it – but he was able now, not having gone through a single night without reliving that nightmare in vivid detail. Always trapped in his own body, helpless and desperate to do something, anything, but was unable to, having to watch the same outcome over and over again. His mother, from whom he had inherited the chestnut locks and oceanic eyes, engulfed in the blinding light and then gone. This was a horrid side-effect of his telepathy; once an image had wormed its way into his brain, it stayed, and there was no telling when it would pardon his mind.

Charles did not wish for that image to be erased from his mind though; on the contrary, he secured it in a corner of his psyche, holding onto it like his life, nay, his whole existence depended on it, and maybe it did, because his mother’s tearstained face at her last minutes gave him strength to endure every day, to smile at Shaw and say “Yes, Father” until the day he could bring him down once and for all.

Charles had not extracted the truth from Shaw’s mind; he couldn’t have, for his foster father’s mind was powerful and barbed, and a small misstep would not only result in a mental bleeding but also alert him to Charles’s intention. A gifted individual’s power grew with his age, as Charles’s telepathy had grown from picking up stray thoughts off an unguarded mind to wringing memories from his own subconscious, and in Shaw’s case, he was ancient in spite of his middle-aged look. If Charles didn’t know better, he would think he was immortal, perhaps a vampire even though he’d never seen the man consume anything red other than fine wine. There should be a secret to his ageless state, a dearly guarded one that might be the key to his mortality. Charles had sworn to his mother’s soul that he would unearth Shaw’s secret and serve her murderer his just desert, but for that to happen, he had to be vigilant, dancing to his foster father’s tune like an obedient dog he thought he’d trained Charles to be.

Caught between his nostalgia and heightened anxiety, Charles didn’t noticed he had reached the end of the stairs. What awaited him was not the gaping mouth of the monster like he had imagined; instead, he was greeted by stagnant air and thick metal bars barring a pitch-black cell. Charles was taken aback since a cell suggested a sight of life while he had speculated Shaw’s secret was an inanimate object. A mystical relic, perhaps, imbued with powers to give men extended lifespan; such was rare, Charles had learned from Shaw’s tomes, but not nonexistent; Shaw’s accumulated wealth and influence would have allowed him its possession. Apparently he couldn’t have been further from the truth. Horror knotted his guts at the thought of a living, breathing being stripped of their freedom and banned from seeing the light of day for how long only the wicked man knew. Along with the uneasiness in his stomach, another emotion rose, one borne from more selfish reason. Wasn’t he too a prisoner, shackled down by years of lies and the pretense of a fatherly bond that had never been in the first place?

Tentatively, Charles released a fraction of his consciousness into the fathomless back behind the bars, searching in hope of finding what he didn’t know himself. There was a chance that an animal, not a human being, was being kept in the cell, and although Charles’s powers had far surpassed those of an average telepath, they remained solely in the human domain. He couldn’t read a beast’s mind even when it indeed had a semblance of one, nor could he control it the way he marionetted a man if he so wanted to. For several seconds Charles was dipping in the inky pool, extending his mental appendage to grope and feel his way not unlike a blind person when he let out an elated cry. He had found something in the dark. Cool, smooth and hard to his mental touch, this thing felt like a solid metal wall or gate. His heartbeats sped up since a barrier indicated the presence of a mind, capable of thoughts and feelings, though guarded and unwelcoming to telepathy, possibly hostile. Now he could try to breach the wall, but that was a barbaric act which Charles abhorred unless he was absolutely choiceless in the matter. Although his foster father had had every intention to make a lethal weapon out of him, Charles’s innate nature was that of peace and civility and it remained miraculously thus despite Shaw’s many a twisted philosophy, so reason would always be his first approach and violence the very last. He pressed his palm against the cool surface, warming it just a little to announce his presence and then knocked, as gently as he would if he had to pay an unexpected visit to a dear friend’s home during ungodly hours yet insistently. One, two, three, four, five... He listened, waiting. The gate remained silent and closed. He felt a pang of disappointment even though he knew he shouldn’t; it wasn’t a normal gate he was requiring entrance, and it would not open simply because he was asking nicely.

Holding up his torch, Charles brought his face closer to the metal bars, almost touching them as he tried to peer through the sheer black and failed. While he loved his telepathy as his gift, sometimes he wished to possess enhanced senses; they would prove to be very useful, especially in circumstances like this.

The torch slipped from his hand and dropped to the floor as Charles gasped mutely, falling on his behind. His heart leapt to his throat as a pair of will-o'-the-wisps had manifested from the darkness and were now staring straight at him. He almost forgot how to breathe, paralyzed by the intensity in those eyes – how did he think they were eyes? Contemplating him. Gauging him. Dissecting him. It was absurd but for an instant, he thought those eyes had penetrated him to his core, scooped it out and lay it bare in the light. It took all his courage to not shrink.

“You are not Shaw,” a voice spoke, masculine and rusty, likely from lack of use. It sounded almost like a growl.

“I-I’m not,” Charles stammered, stupidly. He remembered the torch on the ground and picked it up, relieved that the flame hadn’t been put out. He gripped it in one hand while the other sought the dagger at his waist, his fingers closing around the hilt once he touched it. It was the only weapon Shaw allowed him to keep and it leaned heavily on decoration rather than utility but it did give him some imaginary leverage against this man – creature?, whose glowing eyes and curt speech promised a not-so friendly attitude. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and a bean-sized bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face, not entirely because of the heat from the torch.

“Show yourself,” Charles demanded, raising his torch as well as his voice to sound confident in spite of his unmistakable trembling, then hastily he added a soft “please”, hoping to show he meant no animosity.

It was like dropping a pebble into a well; the water surface rippled but after a few seconds, it was still as if nothing had happened. His words created a small echo in the cavernous space, but the effect was temporary and soon silence took its reign again. The two will-o'-the-wisps had not vanished so Charles assumed he was just ignored. Rude, he thought, without malice, just exasperation. Swallowing a lump in his throat, he tried again, “Can you come out, please?”, with an emphasis on the last word.

To his astonishment, Charles began to see some sort of movement where light and darkness fought for dominion. He heard nothing though, which was rather odd considering how deafening the silence was. A figure was moving into the light provided by Charles’s torch, becoming clearer and clearer. When he saw fully how the speaker of that voice looked, Charles couldn’t help an audible gasp. His eyes went wide, unblinking and after a few seconds, they started to hurt and water from the strain. He ignored the discomfort and continued staring, his hand abandoning his dagger to clutch the metal bars, knuckles starch-white.

“You-You are an Edchina.” Charles somehow found his voice amidst the shock.

The Edchina – a half-human, half-serpent hybrid – didn’t give any response.

“How is it possible?” Charles wondered out loud, his gaze unabashedly raking over the hybrid’s body, from his obviously male torso, pale and ashen due to the sore lack of sun and littered with scars of various sizes, to his serpentine lower half, covered in grey scales that looked metallic in the light. He was thin, too, Charles noted as an afterthought, so thin that Charles could count his ribs underneath his skin. A wave of sickness and pity crashed into the shore of his heart.

“Edchinas were supposed to be all females, and extinct!” Charles exclaimed.

“Thanks to Shaw,” the Edchina sneered. His eerie glowing eyes, with slit pupils at the center, found Charles’s and immediately engaged them in a staring contest. Charles felt a strong urge to turn his head and found that he couldn’t, bewitched as he was, so he had no choice but to look the Edchina in the eyes and pray that he wouldn’t be petrified. A few seconds passed, which felt like an eternity, and the Edchina’s eyes slowly blinked, lifting whatever spell they had cast. Charles was hugely relieved that his limbs and body were movable; he did feel somewhat withered, however. His knees ached from kneeling on the ground and his throat was parched, screaming for some water. “What do you mean ‘thanks to Shaw’?”

“What are you to Shaw?”

“I...” Charles hesitated, his tongue caught between his teeth as he debated with himself about what to say. Judging by his captured state and acid tone, the Edchina was not likely fond of Shaw any more than Charles was. His guts told him that, and a telepath should know when to trust his gut instinct. He had already taken a huge risk venturing down here, so what was the harm in adding a little more? Emboldened, Charles said, “I am his foster son.”

“Oh?” A menacing grin spread across the Edchina’s exquisite features. At the gleam of his snake-like fangs, a chill crept down Charles’s spine while his hands became slicker. “A son trying to steal his father’s possession? Interesting.”

The mocking tone irritated Charles but he pressed it down and took a short breath to regain a neutral tone although he wasn’t quite sure he succeeded. “A son trying to discover his secret and kill him,” he said, determined.

To Charles’s pleasant surprise, the grin faded as quickly as it had appeared. His features hardened and his eyes scrutinized the human in front of the metal bars once more. Is he reading my mind? Charles pondered. Is he capable of it? The writings in the old parchments Charles had excavated from the library’s basement were very vague on the subjects of Edchinas. All they said were this species were rare and man-shy, and that Edchinas might have some preternatural powers, but what exactly those powers were, they didn’t seem to reach an agreement. With a mental snap, Charles erected his shields; that way, if the Edchina attempted to invade, he’d know and be able to defense himself and maybe counterattack. No telepath would be comfortable with a mind reader taking a stroll in his head uninvited.

“You were in my head,” the Edchina said, voice calm and much less rusty; there was even a smooth cadence in it. “How did you do that?”

“I am a gifted,” replied Charles, borrowing Shaw’s word with ease. “So is Shaw but I doubt you’ve already known.”

“Your gift is different from his.”

Charles shuddered at the implication. Had he too witnessed the extent of Shaw’s powers, or worse, experienced them personally? Charles was aware that his foster father’s abilities didn’t limit to sending an individual into oblivion; on a less destructive scale, he could tear flesh and snap limbs with a flick of his wrist.

“Mine is telepathy,” Charles said, gauging the hybrid’s expression. “As you’ve seen, or rather, _felt_ it.”

“Nifty trick,” he commented. “Why didn’t you tear it down? Why just knocking?”

The mocking tone had returned but Charles refused to be provoked. He took a deep breath. “Violence is my last resort, when everything else has failed. I don’t think you have answered my previous question.”

“Are we playing a game?” The Edchina closed the distance between himself and the metal bars, which now served as the only barrier between him and the telepath. He pressed his palm against the bars, spidery fingers flexing, almost touching Charles’s. The human’s gaze swept along his arm, where he spotted several long, jagged scars, and winced. “No,” he replied curtly.

“Then I owe you no answers. However,” he trailed off, eyeing Charles’s throat. “However, if you answer mine, I will answer yours.”

Charles hesitated, the cogs in his head spinning as he contemplated the offer. He knew he didn’t have a lot of time. While Shaw was not supposed to be back until dawn, there was absolutely no guarantee that he wouldn’t cut short his “little excursion”; his father was a spontaneous man as far as Charles was concerned. However, he also knew this was not simply a bargain but a test of trust, one he couldn’t afford to fail if he wanted to wrench any crucial information regarding Shaw’s secret out of the hybrid, which he assumed the half-serpent man was holding.

“Fair enough,” decided Charles.

“What are you called?”

An easy, if unexpected, question. “My name is Charles. And yours?”

“Erik.”

Charles committed the name to his memory.

“Why do you want Shaw dead?” Erik wasted no second with the next question.

This time, it was a question Charles had anticipated. It took him but a moment to answer, opting for sincerity as he had previously. “He orphaned me so he could take me under his wing. For that I don’t just want him dead; I want to kill him.”

Erik’s expression was blank as he grabbed Charles’s wrist through the space between the bars, his thumb applying pressure right on the human’s pulses, feeling them to determine whether his mouth had lied to his heart. Charles flinched but forced himself to remain still. Physical contact was a means to establish trust, and trust was what he aimed to gain from Erik. “Do you still want your earlier question answered?” Erik asked.

“Yes.”

“You were right about the Edchinas. But I am not one.”

“But you have…”

The unmistakable physical traits of an Edchina as described in the tomes.

“I am a halfbreed, born from the seeds of a man who lusted after my mother’s flesh. In more way than one.” He took a short pause to regard Charles’s confounded expression. “That makes us brothers, Charles.”

The air was suddenly knocked from Charles’s lungs when realization kicked in. His mouth opened but not a syllable was uttered, his shock rendering him speechless. His eyes were boring into Erik’s face but wasn’t really seeing him; instead he was finding all the tiny details he had memorized from Shaw’s features. They were not too many and Charles could be forgiven to overlook at first glance, but they were decidedly there if he was looking – the high bridge of his nose, the icy color of his irises, almost translucent, the sharp cut of his mouth that made him look either cruel or generous, depending on the angles, the chiseled lines of his jaws.

“How could he do something like this to you?” Charles’s tone was choked with emotions bubbling in his chest. The dam could burst any moment. “Keeping you in this hole like a vermin, you who are his flesh and blood!”

To his bewilderment, Erik laughed. His laughter was mirthless and dry as sandpaper rubbing on iron. “Flesh and blood, what fascinating choice of words. That’s not all he’s done. Do you want to see for yourself?”

It took Charles a while to get Erik’s invitation, phrased like a question. He nodded and gingerly put his fore- and middle-fingers on Erik’s temple, his eyes squeezing shut. There was a spark and he was face-to-face with the steel gate guarding Erik’s mind again. He pressed his palm against the surface and was surprised to feel some vibration – its internal mechanism turning per Erik’s command. There was a creaking noise when Charles gave it a light nudge, and the gate swung open to release a flood of images and sounds and sensations. For several moments, Charles was literally drowned in it. He lost his footing and the control of his astral body, his arms flailing around not unlike a hopeless man trying with his blind instinct to grasp onto a straw. He couldn’t breathe, attacked by relentless currents of a mind liberated. He had never experienced this before, being utterly overwhelmed, but it was understandable given that all the minds he had come across until now couldn’t hold a candle to Erik’s in terms of depth and complexity. Again, none of them had suffered the way Erik had and yet, managed to persevere, albeit with a cost: his sufferings at the hand of Shaw had given birth to destructive thoughts now manifesting as inky tendrils to coil around Charles’s limbs and torso like snakes. He jerked his limbs, which only resulted in his bonds tightening. Forcing himself to concentrate despite everything, Charles lashed out with his telepathy, cutting a few tendrils. It proved to be a futile struggle because more tendrils instantly sprouted out to replace the severed ones. One in particular wrapped around his throat. His vision dotted, his concentration slipped away. It was a harsh test to his caliber as a telepath and he realized, with spiking panic, how unprepared and inexperienced he was. He could very well perish in the hybrid’s mind today, bound and dragged to the unfathomable bottom.

“Charles!”

A clear voice like a beacon cutting through darkness called out to him at the same time a strong, bony hand caught his forearm. His dazed mind registered the maze of scars and it snapped into awareness, prompting him to cling onto it. With an odd sense of bliss, Charles surrendered himself to its gentle tug, letting himself be guided into a shining white spot amidst the haze. The tendrils recoiled and retreated to where they had come as the same time light engulfed him, momentarily blinding him before it subsided, allowing him to see again.

His relief, however, was short-lived, soon replaced by horror when the grim face of Sebastian Shaw entered his sight. From his first-person perspective, his foster father appeared towering as he loomed over Charles, who was cowering on the hard floor of his cell in hope to look even smaller than he already was; he would sink into the ground if that meant Shaw couldn’t see him and spared him the inevitable fate. In Shaw’s hand was a thin curved blade that suited ceremonies rather than actual usage. The light dancing on the metal brought a queer glint to his eyes, never leaving Charles. “Hush, child,” he cooed, one hand holding Charles’s shoulder in a vice grip while the other raised the blade, “it won’t hurt a bit.” Charles briefly caught his reflection on the metallic surface before it sank into his tender flesh.

Erik yanked Charles out of his memory train, slamming the gate shut in the progress, before agony bled into Charles’s consciousness. His breathing coming in quick pants, Charles clutched his forearm and took in his surroundings, his brain working hard to separate Erik’s memory from reality. It wasn’t an easy task after he had planted himself too deep in the hybrid’s head. Images flickered in front of his eyes, and Shaw’s toxin-laden voice was playing in a loop in his ears. He felt like cowering away. “Charles!” Erik called, hands on both his shoulders, shaking him. Charles blinked hard, and in the same way he had clung to Erik’s arm during the onslaught of Erik’s mind, he held onto his voice and reestablished himself in the real world. Once he saw Erik’s face again instead of Shaw’s and the wicked voice had died out, Charles realized the fingers on him, long and cool, were meant to comfort rather than hurt. Heat immediately pricked the corners of his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he sobbed, burying his face into Erik’s scarred chest. “I’m so, so sorry, Erik.”

Erik’s only response was lifting Charles’s face with both his hands. His thumbs swept away streaks of tears glistening on the human’s cheeks. “So warm,” he muttered, somewhat breathlessly. “I never knew tears could be so warm.”

“I have to get you out of here,” Charles said. “I don’t know how, but I have to.” His eyes were misty with tears and his voice was hoarse, but his resolution was loud and clear. His initial desire to uncover Shaw’s secret had vacated from his head; all he was think about at the moment was that Erik’s torment had to stop. His hands clasped the metal as if he could bend them through sheer will and determination. Heavens. If only he possessed the gift of super strength.

“Will you help me, Charles?”

“Of course. But I—”

Erik shushed him. “There’s a way,” he said, turning around. Charles’s scanned the expanse of his bare back. The skin here was in no better state than his chest, with scars crisscrossing and forming a grotesque cobweb. Charles’s fingers itched to run over them, smoothing them into oblivion with his touch.

“Touch the back of my neck, Charles,” Erik ordered, “where it connects with my back. Can you feel it?”

Charles did as he was told. The back of his neck was mercifully scar-free and the skin was smooth underneath his fingertips. Then he felt it – a bump about the size of his thumbnail. “What is it?” he asked.

“Something Shaw put in me a long time ago. I can’t take it out myself, so I need you to help me.”

Charles eyed the spot, reaching for his dagger. As soon as he touched the hilt, doubts filled him. Though he wasn’t squeamish when blood was involved, he had never actually cut open living flesh. Moreover, the fear that he would hurt Erik with his inexperienced hand almost caused him to drop the dagger.

Perhaps sensing Charles’s apprehension, Erik pled, “Charles, please.”

Charles exhaled lengthily, the dagger held firm in his hand. He pressed the tip into Erik’s skin, light as a ghost breath. “Alright. I’m going in. Are you ready?”

A short, dry laugh. “I’m accustomed to pain, Charles. Go ahead.”

Charles bit the inside of his cheek to soothe his nerves. Sweat pooled at his throat but his hand was steady and he knew his dagger, despite its ornamental function, was absurdly sharp and thin – perfect for a dissection. He was glad he had picked it in the first place. He wanted to – he _had_ to make it quick for both Erik and himself.

Blood painted an abstract picture on Erik’s back but Charles wouldn’t let it deter him from his task, steeling himself to cut deeper into flesh until the damned thing exposed itself to his eyes. A tiny, rectangular piece of unknown material, it gave off a faint gleam. Exhilarated, he whispered, “There. Almost done. Just hang on a little more”, to himself rather than Erik, who had remained still and quiet since the beginning. It pained him to know Erik’s statement that he was used to physical pains held true.

Charles wasn’t aware he had been holding his breath until his fingers pried the piece free from the stubborn flesh trying to keep it in place. With his back turned to him, Erik let out a sigh.

Charles cut a sleeve from his jacket and pressed the cloth to Erik’s bleeding wound. His blood soaked through the fabric in an instance. It needed treatment or else the wound could fester, Charles worried, but he was at a loss of what to do. The metal bars were still between them, and Erik’s freedom seemed too far-fetched. “Are you alright?” Charles asked with concern, dabbing at the blood.

“I’m fine,” Erik replied, turning to face Charles. Catching Charles’s wrist, he gently pried his fingers off the soiled cloth and let it fall to the ground. Charles spared it a glance and looked at the hybrid, half confused, half questioning. “It heals. I’ve had worse.”

Charles’s stomach churned at the implication. “But it’s still bleeding,” he retorted. “At least let me stop the blood.”

Erik’s lips quirked. “I may not heal as fast as a full-fledged Edchina but still fast enough.”

As if to demonstrate, he touched his wound and showed his hand to Charles, whose eyes widened incredulously at the bloodless skin. “Extraordinary,” he whispered.

Charles spread his palm, where the bloodied piece he had taken out from Erik’s flesh was laying, seemingly harmless. It felt light and metallic on his skin. “What is it?”

Erik glared at the object and Charles’s guts felt a sharp twinge at the hatred contained in a single look. The piece levitated in the air and was crumpled by an invisible hand so that its size was reduced to that of a speck of soot. Charles let out a gasp, but before he could voice his question, he was witness to a feat of a much more grandeur scale: every single metal bar was twisting and wrenching itself out of its designated place as though they were freedom soldiers waiting since forever for the one signal to break their shackles. They dropped to the ground, making clanging noises that could wake the dead. Charles jumped a little but he was quick to assure himself that it was deep into the night and they were too far beneath the surface to alert a soul in the vicinity.

Peering at the bended bars near his feet, Charles could only hope the look he was wearing wasn’t too idiotic. “You are...”

He finished his sentence with telepathy, not trusting his voice to not tremble in awe. “... gifted. Just like me. Just like Shaw.”

Erik’s smile didn’t quite reach his glowing eyes. “Half human, remember? The thing you plucked out was a suppressor, specially designed to lock my power. Shaw had it crafted and put it in me as soon as my gift manifested.”

“Ever the cautious bastard,” Charles agreed.

“Maybe not cautious enough, because you found this hole, and you found me. You came looking for Shaw’s secret. Did you find it?”

“I think I have an inkling,” Charles answered in his physical voice. His mind drifted to the memory he had intimately shared with Erik, of Shaw’s cold smile, false words and curved blade. Of not-his but oh-so-real fear. He pulled himself out before he went in too deep.

“Shaw’s my father and he murdered my mother so there’s nothing in this world I want more than his death,” Erik said, his tone even, yet laced with cool enmity, leaving no room for doubt. “I will help you, Charles, as you’ve helped me. Do we have a deal?”

The hybrid held out his hand, which Charles wasted no time to take and give it a firm shake. Warmth enveloped his heart and from there it spread all over his body. For the first time since he had stepped down the stairs, he was truly relaxed.

“But first, let’s get out of this forsaken place.” Charles stared at Erik’s lower half for three seconds and was suddenly reminded. “Can-Can you walk? I mean, you don’t have legs.”

Edchinas had to be able to move around, right? Did they slither like snakes or...

“I don’t have legs?” Erik chuckled. “Look again.”

Charles blinked hard, not sure if he had heard right. In the time it took him to do so, a pair of very human legs had miraculously replaced Erik’s snake tail. Now he appeared human all over, not just from his waist up. Charles was dumbfounded.

“Half human, remember?” Erik echoed his earlier words, this time adding a hint of tease. His eyes had also ceased their unearthly glow. “I can take human form if I concentrate. Being a halfbreed has its perks.”

“Nifty trick,” Charles replied, also taking Erik’s previous comment. Then he exclaimed, “Heavens!” as he noticed the hybrid’s rather... exposed state. It had posed no problem when he had the body of a serpent but now... Crimson crept up Charles’s neck, bared by his lowered collar, and colored both his cheeks. He shrugged out of his coat and draped it over Erik’s shoulders, consciously trying to avert his eyes from Erik’s intimate areas, which was... difficult, to say the least. He thought he might be dripping blood from his face. Erik watched the human without making any comment. His lips stretched into a smirk.

“Can you stand?” Charles asked, already offering his hand. Erik nodded and took it, borrowing Charles’s strength for support. Once standing up, he let go off Charles’s hand and had but a moment before his newly acquired legs wobbled and Erik nearly collided with the ground if not for Charles’s quick reflex and the hidden strength his unimpressive build possessed. He rested Erik’s arm over his shoulder, pressing the hybrid’s torso to his own as he put his hand on his waist, wincing a little as Erik’s protruding hipbone jabbed his side. Erik had been mistreated and malnourished and Charles hoped with time and proper care, his condition would be improved. Taking slow, measured steps, he walked them both up the staircase.

“Imagine Shaw’s face when he’s back and finds that I’m gone,” Erik said.

“He’d suspect me at once,” Charles sighed. “We don’t have a lot of time. We have to come up with a plan quickly.”

“The best plan I could think of is find a place and lay low for a while.”

Charles frowned, turning his head to look at Erik. “Why?” he asked.

He was regarded with Erik’s smile, one of his more genuine ones, which made Charles’s heart inexplicably fluttered.

“Longevity comes with a price, and in Shaw’s case, if he stops consuming my flesh, let’s say, his age is finally catching up with him.”

Charles’s blue eyes brightened. “And he’s practically a relic himself.”

“More than you and me could ever imagine.”

Charles allowed himself a grin, which was mirrored on Erik’s countenance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I borrowed the name of the half-snake, half-woman monster from Greek Mythology for Erik’s species.


End file.
